Preventing Bullying in Schools Kristen Miller

Definition of Bullying As teachers, we like to think we are educated on this issue in our classrooms, but it is important to understand what bullying is in order to help prevent it. As defined by www.stopbullying.gov Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. This website is a wonderful reference for learning ways to stop bullying, and the importance of doing so.

What is a Imbalance of Power? Imbalance of power in bullying refers to one child using their “power” to bully another. This could be anything from physical strength to emotional or social issues. One child may be more “popular” than the other, and this power could be used against another child to put them down. It is important to remember that bullying is more than just physical abuse. The worst kind of bullying is often social or emotional.

5 Ways We Can Stop Bullying: 1 Teachers play a huge role in the students who feel the need to bully. The number one thing we as teachers can do to help prevent this is to make our classrooms a safe environment for our students. Whether this be implemented at home or not, we can make our time with them meaningful when they trust us.

5 Ways We Can Stop Bullying: 2 Classroom management plays a big part in preventing bullying. Manage our classrooms at all times helps to prevent bullying from ever happening. Always giving the class instructions and having a set of rules are key in managing a bully- free classroom.

5 Ways We Can Stop Bullying: 3 If and when bullying does occur, it is very important to stop it on the spot. Immediate reinforcement should given the the child causing the bullying. Let them cool off if needed, and then talk to them separately.

5 Ways We Can Stop Bullying: 4 The next step is to try our best to figure out what happened. Keep the children involved separate. Find out the facts. Try your best to understand what happened, and what cause the incident. Be sure to never blame one student before knowing what took place.

5 Ways We Can Stop Bullying: 5 When bullying happens, it is important to support every child involved. The child being bullied, bullying others, or even watching are all affected by this act. Always make sure that the students involved are supported and take away something from the incident.

Cyber Bullying Cyber bullying is something we now have to consider due to all of the technology our students have available. Always monitor computer/ internet use while at school. Have set rules in place that will help to prevent cyber bullying from happen Talk about it. Talking about it can help them understand why this is such a big issue, and why they should not take part in it.

Bullying Statistics Around 30% of teens admitted to bullying at school. At least 50% of teens have been bullied online. 90% of students grades 4-8 have been bullied at some point. 35% of children have been threatened online. 28% of bullies do so for entertainment.

Conclusion In all, bullying cannot be completely prevented by us alone. However, we can raise awareness, follow these helpful steps to do our part, and teach our students about the risks of bullying. By doing this, we will be able to provide a truly safe and supportive environment for our students to learn in.

References www.stopbullying.gov http://nobullying.com/bullying-statistics/ http://nobullying.com/bullying-statistics-2014/ http://www.ed.gov/